Safety barrier



p 29, .1970 E. F. WINDHAM 3,531,091 I SAFETY BARRIER Filed March 6, 1969 2 v 38 4/ ig I 42 40 v J. I 8

' INVENTOR. EDWARD FLWINDHAM ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,531,091 SAFETY BARRIER Edward F. Windham, Plantation, Fla., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Safety Development, Inc., a corporation of Florida Filed Mar. 6, 1969, Ser. No. 804,874 Int. Cl. E04h 17/14 U.S. Cl. 256-65 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An open floor safety barrier support including a post supported adjacent only one end for use on the top floor of buildings during open floor construction. The safety barrier includes base supporting means connected 1.0 an upright post for supporting safety cables. The supporting means includes a screw driven clamping member for clamping the end of a construction beam between the clamping member and a fixed portion of the supporting means, the supporting means includes a removable brace member for lateral support.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a new and improved open floor safety barrier supported adjacent only one end, and, more particularly, to an open floor safety barrier including a base supporting means connected to an upright post for supporting safety cables.

As is perhaps well-known, various permanent safety barriers have been designed in the past. Permanent safety barriers are costly to assemble for use during open floor construction. Other safety devices have been designed to be supported between a floor and ceiling of the building under construction. Such devices cannot be used on the top floor during open floor construction. In the past, the actual use of safety devices for top floor construction has been almost non-existent, although the safety needs on the top floor of open floor construction are the greatest.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a new and improved open floor safety barrier supported adjacent only one end. The safety barrier includes an upright post having cable supporting and attaching means thereon. The supporting means includes generally U-shaped members connected to said post and cable end connecting channels in said post. The safety barrier includes supporting means connected adjacent the lower end of said post. The supporting means includes a fixed portion surrounding an opening which fixed portion may be placed over the end of a construction beam. The supporting means also includes a clamping member that is movable into engagement with a beam in said opening to clamp said safety barrier to the beam to support the post in an upright position. The support means also includes a removable brace member that is releasably connected to said beam to provide lateral support for the post when safety cables are held taut between a plurality of safety barriers.

It is an object of this invention to provide a non-complex safety barrier for top floor construction.

It is another object of this invention to provide a safety barrier supported adjacent only one end.

A further object of this invention is to provide a low cost safety barrier for open floor construction.

An additional object of this invention is to provide a safety barrier with a clamping support member and a lateral support member adjacent the lower end of the barrier.

In accordance with these and other objects which will be apparent hereinafter the instant invention will now be Patented Sept. 29, 1970 described with particular reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING :the support end of the safety barrier, adjacent one end of the post.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now in detail to the drawing, wherein an embodiment of the invention is shown, and referring, particularly, to FIG. 1, the safety barrier, generally designated as numeral 2, includes an upright post 4 connected adjacent one end to the supporting means 6. The supporting means includes a screw driven clamping member with plate 8 attached thereto. The supporting means 6 includes a fixed portion surrounding an opening. Said fixed portion includes cross member 10, two vertical posts :12 and 14, and two horizontally disposed base members 16 and 18. The members 10, 12, 14, 16 and 18 are angle irons. Base members 16 and 18 form a channel for supporting the end of a beam.

The upright post 4 includes cable supporting means. The generally U-shaped members 20 and 22 that may be made from nuts with a portion cutout are welded to post 4. Cable end connecting channels 24 are drilled into the post 4. A bolt 24 is located in one channel. The bolt is connected to the post by a nut 28 in order to hold safety cables 30 taut between safety barriers. Other channels may be drilled in the post 4 in order to string safety cables perpendicular to safety cable 30.

Referring now to FIG. 2 showing a portion of upright post 4 adjacent the support end. The clamping member includes a screw driven member 34 with washer 36 attached to the inner end and plate 8 attached to the distal end. A washer 38 is welded to the end of the post. Washer 38 and washer 36 prevent screw drive member 34 from falling out of the post. Nut 40 and washer 41 are placed on the screw drive member 34 in order to move plate 8 down against the end of a construction beam, in order to clamp the beam between the plate 8 and the horizontal member 16 and 18.

A brace member 42 may be connected to the post 4 adjacent the support end to provide lateral support. The brace member gives the post additional support against tension forces in the safety cables stretched between a plurality of safety barriers. The bottom of the brace 46 may be nailed to the deck through the lower hole adjacent numeral 44. The brace may be bolted at 47 to the post 4 through the upper hole adjacent numeral 46.

What is claimed is:

1. In a support for attachment to a beam of a temporary floor of a building during construction thereof to receive horizontal barrier members of a safety barrier, wherein the support includes an upright hollow post carrying at an upper portion thereof means to support the horizontal barrier members, a threaded drive member received in the interior of the post and having a lower end projecting downwardly from the post, a foot afiixed to the lower end of said drive member, and lock means threaded on said drive member for driving said drive member downward relative to said post to apply force with said foot downward on a beam of the floor, the improved structure for clamping the support to the beam while allowing the beam to project beyond an edge of the floor if necessary, said structure comprising (a) a base member atfixed to said post toward the lower end thereof,

(b) a pair of legs afiixed to said base member and extending vertically downward therefrom, said legs being spaced apart horizontally a distance suflicient to straddle the outer end portion of the beam with said base member above said beam, and

(c) a channel means aflixed to lower portions of said legs, said channel means extending axially of said beam generally perpendicular to said legs, and said channel means having a bottom and vertical sides spaced to receive and embrace a lower portion of the beam, said channel means and said legs and said base member defining an opening to permit the end of the beam to pass through the opening when the support is slipped over the end of the b am and adjusted up adjacent the floor so that when said foot is driven down toward said beam said channel is drawn up and partially around the lower portion of the beam and said beam may project between and beyond said legs.

2. A support for attachment to a beam of a temporary floor on a building to receive members of a safety barrier, said support including in combination (a) a base member to be mounted above an end portion of a beam of the temporary floor,

(b) a pair of legs affixed to said base member and extending vertically downward therefrom in the operative position of said support, said legs being spaced apart from each other horizontally a distance sufiicient to straddle the end portion of the beam above which the base member is mounted,

(c) a channel means affixed to lower portions of said legs, said channel means extending axially of said beam generally perpendicular to said legs, and said channel means having a bottom portion and vertical sides spaced to receive and embrace a lower portion of said beam, said channel means and said legs and said base member defining an opening to permit the end of the beam to pass through the opening when the support is slipped over the end of the beam and adjusted up adjacent the floor (d) an upright hollow post supported by said base member and projecting above the same, said post carrying at an upper portion thereof means to support safety barrier lines and having a hollow lower end,

(e) a threaded drive member received in the interior of said post and having a lower end projecting downwardly from said post,

(f) a foot affixed to the lower end of said drive member, and

(g) lock means threaded on said drive member for driving said drive member downward relative to said post to apply force with said foot downward on said beam and draw said channel means upward against and partially around the lower side of said beam and thereby firmly clamp said support to said beam with said beam projecting through said opening.

3. The support as claimed in claim 2 in which said legs comprise angle members.

4. The support as claimed in claim 3 in which said channel means has angle corners aflixed respectively to said legs.

5. The support as claimde in claim 4 in which said base member comprises an angle member.

6. The support as claimed in claim 5 in which said lock means is adapted to travel by screwing on said drive member toward the lower end of said post.

7. The support as claimed in claim 2 including a brace affixed to said post for bracing said post in a vertical position.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,544,283 6/1925 Stull 256-35 2,706,662 4/1955 Brown 1821l3 2,805,103 9/1957 Jorvais 182-113 X 3,084,759 4/1963 Squire '1821l3 3,351,311 11/1967 Melfi 256-65 X 3,425,509 2/1969 Gilbert et al 182--1l3 DENNIS L. TAYLOR, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 256-59 

